Boston is reacting to news this morning that US authorities have identified two brothers in the Boston Marathon attacks. One suspect has been killed after a confrontational gun battle with police, and the other brother is on the run.

The city is on edge with some areas remaining on lockdown as police search door to door for the suspect, 19-year-old, Dzokhar Tsarnaev, a Russian-born brother of the deceased suspect, 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

The violence broke out around 10:30 pm Thursday when the brothers are suspected of robbing a 7-11 convenience store in Cambridge. They shot and killed an MIT campus police officer and then carjacked a Mercedes sport-utility vehicle at gunpoint. They kept the driver of the vehicle as a hostage for approximately half an hour, according to police, finally releasing them at a gas station in Cambridge, unharmed.

While authorities were in pursuit of the SUV, the suspects were throwing explosive devices from the car, “There was an exchange of gunfire ‘between police and the suspects,’” said State Police Col. Timothy Alben. (wsj.com)

Timeline of Events

Monday, April 15 – Boston Marathon Bombings; killing 3 people and injuring more than 170

Thursday, April 18 – Dzokhar Tsarnaev, 19, was the suspect believed to have been seen wearing a white cap, on backwards in video; photos are released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

Thursday, April 18 – Tips start to pour in regarding the two brothers

Thursday, April 18 – Approximately 10:30 pm the brothers rob a 7-11 in Cambridge

Thursday, April 18 – 10:30 pm + the brothers carjack a Mercedes sport-utility vehicle and take the owner of the vehicle hostage

Thursday, April 18 – 10:30 pm + the hostage is released unharmed approximately one half hour later

Thursday, April 18 – 10:30 pm + the brothers are in a shootout and chase with the police, throwing explosives out the window of the SUV

Thursday, April 18 – 10:30 pm + 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev is shot multiple times and is taken to Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston where he later dies from both gunshot wounds and injuries from an explosive device

Friday, April 19 – Police warn residents that there is a suspect at large and he is armed and dangerous. A new photograph of the 19-year-old brother is released with him wearing a gray-hooded sweatshirt, taken from the 7-11 robbery in Cambridge.

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick is urging residents throughout the Boston area to stay indoors until the matter is resolved. The city is on high alert with much of the public facilities on lockdown. Governor Patrick ordered subways and buses to shut down as police conduct searches for the suspect.

Some of the main college campuses will be closed, including MIT, Harvard, Boston University and Boston College.

“We believe this to be a terrorist,” said Boston Police Chief Ed Davis. “We believe this to be a man who’s come here to kill people. We need to get him in custody.” (wsj.com)

Area residents are, expectedly, unnerved by the events; as is the country, we all hold our breath waiting for the terrorist to be brought to justice.